The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-09-17
TIE SHIP CANAL PROJECT.
party.

Senator Cul!om has been making gran.
ger speeches In various parts of Illinois Of
late; and in one made TO the De Kslb
county farmers, a fortnight ago, emphssiz.
ed the necessity of better water ways Gs Il
means of keeping down freights. This
has, Of course, the color Of a chestnut"
as does also his 3tgtmeGt that it would en-.
able grain grown on the great wheat fields
Of the northwest ana west 70 he sold az a
figure low enough 10 successfully compete
with the whea. OF India which has been
making big inroads upon the European
markets for American wheat" never tae.
less the truth and importance Of the subject
WIS never 50 patent as today.
la his articles on the Industrial De.
pressions now publishing In the PopUior
Science Moa5'A Mr.. David A, Wells
brings into a stronger and clearer light this
necessity for water ways in America for
the American farmer than has any writer
we have yet read, in showing the enor-
nous disturbing influence the Saez canal
has eXerted since 1t was opened to traffic,
Before that date, there was no question of
American supremacy in the European
grain markets, since Russian wheat fields
were scarcely q factor them, while all
Indian merchandise came round the Horn
in sailing vessels which were doing well
if they made a round trip to London and
back in three years. Now that merchan,
disc IN hauled by steam in @ vessel Of
enormously increased carrying capacity
which makes round trips IN GO days! The
extension Of the telegraph and submarine
cables to Iaiia have also done much TO
annihilate space between London and
Liverpool and the far Elst. In fac, the
opeaing Of the Suez canal has worked
commercial revolution. The advantage
has been gained By Iadia and the East, and
the disadvantage has fallen upon America;
and since by reason OF our tariff system
our exports are nearly all breadstutfS, the
loss has fallen entirely on the American
farmer.
1t has, indeed, came to pass that the only
way in which the American wheat can
retain those markets she still has in Europe,
and regain those she has lost, is by meeting
the price of the Indian producers, which
Is only made possible by cheaper trsnspor-
tatiOn.
The farmer, therefore, is directly inter
ested in the successful construction of new
waterways between the West and North.
west and the East. 1t is they who must
see to it that the meeting called to con-
slider the Illinois river ship canal project
at Peoria, Oct. 18th, does not because a
mere appendix to Chicago's plan of sewer
age That Chicago will endeavOr, If she
gees into that convention at all, to manipu-
late il in the interest OF her scheme OF
pouring her sewage into Illinois river is
almost certain; and in the light of her
behavior in the legislature last winter any
promises she may make on that subject
are to be looked upon as absolutely unre-
liable and unworthy Of consideration. The
farmer wants canal for his grain; not a
sewer for Chicago The Peoria convention
should De one more step forward toward
the contamination of the Plan TO make the
Illinois river such canal as is demanded
by farmers of the West and the Northwest;
and the disposal of Chicagos sewage is
not and never was part of that plan